chapman



F. H. CHAPMAN. MACHINE FOR GROOVING AND FINISHING JEWEL BEARINGS.

APPLICATION FILI-ID OCT. I3, 19H- 1 ,307,577. 4 Patented June 24, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

IIIIII ll lIlI/// Y Ev)?? 6212 3/71 212.

Guam wig UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. CHAPMAN, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, TO TOLEDO SCALE COMPANY, OFTOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR GROOVING AND FINISHING JEWEL-BEARINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed October 13, 1917. Serial No. 196,370.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK H. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for .Groovingand Finishing J ewel-Bearings, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to machines for cutting stone or like material ofcomparative hardness, and more particularly to machines for grooving andfinishing jewel bearings such as agates and the like.

In certain of the mechanical arts, such as those relating to thedevelopment of scale, horological and scientific instrument industries,it has been found necessary to use pivots, bearings and the like of veryhard material, such as agate and other precious or semi-precious stones.Heretofore it has been the custom to import such agatebearings, etc., ingreat quantities from foreign countries, where the labor employed incutting these stones by successive hand operations did not greatlyaffect the cost thereof. The difiiculty experienced in providing a machine for cutting jewel bearings of this type bears mainly on thecooperation of a plurality of cutting members adapted to grind andgroove the stone in straight lines and in sufficient numbers to allowthe production of the agate bearings in considerable quantities. Ingrooving the agate bearings it is necessary to provide means forpreventing the agate from tilting either in a vertical or transversedirection, thereby insuring that the groove becorrectly placed andalined. Otherwise the groove would be misplaced either obliquely,transversely or vertically, thus rendering the agate useless.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a machine whereby anumber of agates or like bearings may be simultaneously grooved andpolished in a minimum of time and at a relatively small cost. A furtherobject is to provide means whereby the grooves are correctly placed andautomatically maintained in such position.

A further object is to provide means whereby the 'agates may beadjustably mounted and dismantled quickly while allowing for automaticvariation of position to adapt themselves to irregularities in themounting of the cutting blades.

- With the above and other objects in view which will readily appearfrom the following description, my invention consists of the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts more fully describedin the following specification and set forth in the subjoined claims.

Referring to the drawings, which portray an illustrative form of myinvention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar partsthroughout the several v1ews:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved grooving and finishingmachine with the parts in assembled position;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of one of the agate holding blocks;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the manner of mountingthe agate holding blocks; and

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical longitudinal section taken at right anglesto the section shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a portion of the bedof a planer or other suitable machine having a reciprocating carriage 2adapted to reciprocate above a tank or containing vessel 3. As hereinshown, the tank 3 is secured to the forward end of the planer bed andcarries a plurality of V-shaped cutting and grooving blades l arrangedparallel with each other and adapted to be immersed in an abrasivesolution. It will be understood that the illustration in Fig. 1 showsthe substantial 1 arrangement of parts but that during the operation ofmy machine the V-shaped cut ting blades are covered with the abrasivesolution 5. This abrasive solution may be of any suitable composition. Amixture of carborundum and emery powder has been found to be veryeflicient in practice, particularly when maintained in a slightlyviscous fluid condition, and cooperating with V-shaped cutting members 4of cast iron or soft steel.

Adjustably secured to the forward end of the reciprocating carriage 2 ofthe planer 1 is a carriage member 6 provided with a plurality ofspring-pressed plunger rods 7 arranged in vertlcal alinement with eachof the cutting members 4, the lower extremity of the plungers engagingsuitable agate holding blocks 8 and adapted to hold them under pressureof the springs 9 upon the V- shaped cutting ribs 4. The upper end of theplunger rod 7 carries a knurled knob 10 which may be grasped to raisethe lower end of the rods from the blocks 8 when desired. The lower endsof the plunger rods 7 are preferably formed with a semi-annular rib 11adapted to seat in a rounded groove 12 centrally located in the upperside of the blocks 8, and preferably extending transversely across theblocks. The interfitting of the semi-annular rib 11 and groove 12permits the blocks to turn to adjust themselves to the variedinclination of the cutting ribs 4 and to rest evenly thereon even thoughthe cutting edges and the carriage be not absolutely parallel. The agateholding blocks 8 are each formed with a longitudinally-extending channel18 in which the agates 14 are placed,v suitable clamping means, as setscrews 15 or the like, secured in the side plates of the blocks beingutilized to hold the agates laterally in position. Suitable stops, asthe pins 16, are arranged a predetermined distance from the ends of thechannels to enable the rapid placing of the agates within the channelsand prevent their inward movement during the grooving operation. Theconstruction and use of the set screws 15 and stops 16 are best seen inFig. 3

of the drawings. It will be understood, however, that should it bedesired to utilize agates of a smaller size than the channel 13 of theholding blocks, suitable spacing members may be provided between thewalls of the blocks and the agates, which spacing members would becontacted by the set screws 15 or similar clamps.

A plurality of agitating rods 17 project downwardly from the carriage 6between the holding blocks 8 and the cutting ribs 4 (see Fig. 6), andserve to continually agitate the abrasive solution to prevent theparticles of carborundum, emery, etc., from settling to the bottom ofthe tank and thereby weakening the solution.

Any desired means may be used for posi tioning and maintaining thecarriage 6 upon the reciprocating member 2 and for securing andpositioning the tank 3 with reference thereto. A suitable drain, asshown at 18 in Fig. 1, may be provided to facilitate the removal ofsediment or the abrasive solution, whenever desired.

In the operation of-my machine, a pair of agates, in which the grooveshave first been roughly ground therein, are secured in the opposite endsof the holding blocks 8 and suitably secured therein by the stop andclamping members. The holding members are then positioned upon thecutting ribs 4 by the spring-pressed plungers 7 and the carriage 2reciprocated. The two agates, one in each end of the block, prevent theblock f om t rn ng relatively to the sa tting ribs,

while the pivotal connection between the plunger and block centrally ofthe block permits self adjustment to the varied inclination of thecutting edges. As the carriage 2 reciprocates, the grooves areaccurately formed within the agates through the rubbing of the emery andcarborundum particles between the cutting ribs and the agates, thesolution being constantly agitated by means of the rods 17 While it willbe apparent that the lllU-S":

trated embodiment of my invention herein disclosed is well calculated toadequately fulfil the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and changewithout departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forthin the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A machine of the character described, comprising an abrasive solutioncontainer, a plurality of cutting members secured therein, a pluralityof holders for I the articles to be cut, means for holding one of saidholders upon each of said cutting members, and a pivotal connectionbetween said last-named means and the holders whereby said holders arecapable of self adjustment relatively to the cutting members.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising an abrasive solutioncontainer, a plurality of cutting members secured therein, a pluralityof holders for the articles to be cut, each holder being arranged tocontain a plurality of articles to be cut, means for pressing one ofsaid holders upon each of said cutting members, and means for impartingreciprocatory movement to said holders.

3. Inamachine of the character described, a holder for articles to becut comprising a channeled member adapted to receive a plurality ofarticles, and means for clamping said articles within the channel.

4. In a machine of the character de scribed, a holder for articles to becut comprising a channeled member adapted to receive a plurality ofarticles adjacent its opposite ends, and adjusting means for clampingsaid articles within the channel.

5, A machine of the character described comprising an abrasive solutioncontainer, parallel cutting members secured within said container, acarriage capable of reciprocatory movement and provided With a pluralityof holding members in vertical alinement with said cutting members, saidholding members including a pair of pivoted members arranged to permitself adjustment of the holding members relatively to the cuttingmembers.

6. A machine of the character described comprising an abrasive solutioncontainer, parallel c tting m mb r cur d Within a d container, acarriage capable of reciprocatory movement and provided with a pluralityof plunger rods in vertical alinement With said cuttlng members, holdersfor the articles to be cut cooperating with said plunger rods, saidholders and rods being pivotally connected to permit self adjustment ofthe holders relatively to the cutting members.

7. A machine of the character described comprising an abrasive solutioncontainer, parallel cutting members secured Within said container, acarriage capable of reciprocatory movement and provided With a pluralityof spring-pressed plunger rods in vertical alinement with said cuttingmembers, holders for the articles to be cut cooperatin with said plungerrods, said holders an rods being pivotally connected to permit selfadjustment of the holders relatively to the cutting members.

8. A machine of the character described comprising a tank, an abrasivesolution adapted to be contained therein, cutting members secured Withinsaid tank and immersed in said solution, reciprocable means for holdinga plurality of articles to be cut upon said cutting members, and meansprojecting from the holding means for agitating the solution during thecutting operation.

9. A machine of the character described comprising a tank, an abrasivesolution contained therein, cutting members secured Within said tank andimmersed in said solution, means for holding a plurality of articles tobe out upon said holding members, and means for reciprocating saidholding means for agitating said solution during the reciprocatingmovement.

10. A machine of the character described comprising a tank, an abrasivesolution contained therein, a plurality of cutting members securedWithin the tank and immersed in said solution, a plurality of holdingmembers for the articles to be cut arranged to cooperate With saidcutting members, a reciprocating carriage in Which the holding membersare mounted, and agitating means secured to said carriage.

FRANK H. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

F. A. CROWLEY, Gnonen R. FRYE.

Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

